Spencer and Caleb: The Aftermath
by Intellectual Ambassador
Summary: A fic dealing with the aftermath of Caleb's actions in 6x20 and Spencer's reactions to them. Currently complete. Please R&R
1. Chapter 1

Spencer and Caleb: The Aftermath

It had been a few days since they found Hanna and brought her back to Rosewood. Spencer couldn't have been more relieved. Her best friend was back, and it seemed like they were closer to finally closing the last chapter on this "A" mystery.

 _But, something still poked at Spencer's psyche._

 **It was her relationship with Caleb.**

Ever since the day at the cabin where he had yelled at her erratically, their relationship had been different.

Spencer hadn't really seen or heard from Caleb since that day other than brief text messages and a short visit to update her on the details of the "A" situation.

Spencer had her reservations about the relationship since Hanna and Caleb started this risky plan a few weeks ago. She noticed the way they looked at each other and couldn't ignore what appeared to be " _lingering feelings_ ".

 _A reflexive hand-hold._

 _A comforting hand on the back._

Spencer didn't want to admit that she felt jealous… but she did. She knew deep down that being with Caleb wasn't going to be easy. There were complications with Hanna regarding this relationship and Spencer knew it.

But she was blinded by her feelings for the wandering bad-boy. Spencer wasn't insensitive. She had always been fairly perceptive to the people around her. And after everything she had been through, she was hoping for a happier ending.

Unfortunately, life has a cruel sense of humor.

Which made her reflect on the thing that had bothered her the most.

 _"Why hasn't Caleb said it back?"_

Spencer thought to herself. 'It' being the infamous three words which separate a shallow relationship from a serious one:

 ** _I love you._**

Spencer wasn't one to sit on something like this. If she wanted an answer, she would go and find it. However, this situation was different.

Maybe she didn't want to find the answer to her question. If she were being honest with herself, the fear of his answer crippled her entirely.

Spencer has been put in many life-or-death situations before. But, of all the times that she has been afraid, the sensation has never been as palpable as it is now.

"I guess it's true what they say - the heart is deceitful above all things. Who can truly know it?" Spencer thought to herself as a single tear had managed to escape from her eye.

Quickly wiping away her tear, there was a knock on her door. Wondering who could it could be at this hour, she opened the door to find a concerned looking Caleb at her doorstep.

Every doubt and fear and emotion that Spencer had felt over these past few weeks had hit her tenfold. She felt her heart drop rapidly. Spencer had to take a deep breath to make sure that she was still okay.

"Hey. We need to talk. Can I come in?" Caleb asked.

"Yeah. Sure." Spencer answered with a weak smile. She had been dreading this conversation for weeks. Hoping for the best, Spencer closes the door behind Caleb and takes a deep breath.

Making their way to the sofa, they both sit down while Spencer waits for Caleb to explain the reason for his arrival.

"Spencer… there's something I–we need to talk about." Caleb began, with what sounded like nervousness and guilt lacing his voice.

"Yeah we do." Spencer responded.

"How have you been?" Caleb asked.

"Caleb. I would be better if you told me what was going on. Ever since the whole Hanna thing, you completely shut me out of your life. You barely talk to me. I haven't seen you in almost two weeks. What's going on…?"

Exhaling loudly, Caleb continued, hoping that Spencer wouldn't hate him after he had finished explaining himself.

"Spencer… There is a reason why I haven't been around. Why I haven't said "I love you" as well… "

"I'm listening..." Spencer responded, proud that her voice didn't show the uneasiness that she felt.

"Okay... So, that night when Hanna got taken, she had told me some things that I didn't know about the night that we had broken up..."

Spencer immediately felt her heart drop. She was smart enough to know where this was going, but she hoped that Caleb would disprove her suspicions.

"Anyways, Hanna told me that she never stopped loving me... and... I kissed her."

If Spencer Hastings could use a word to describe the way she was feeling right now, it would be _bittersweet._ Betrayal had never hurt quite as much as this. Unable to control her emotions any longer, Spencer let out all the tears and emotions that she had been holding back for weeks.

"Spence... I-I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I just got so caught up in the moment that-"

"-Tell me something." Spencer said sharply, cutting Caleb off.

Caleb winced slightly at Spencer's tone. For all the years that they had known each other, Spencer had never spoken to Caleb with that tone before. He knew that he had done something awful. He just hoped that Spencer wouldn't hate him or Hanna for his poor judgement.

 ** _"Am I not supposed to judge myself for this?_** "

"Spence..."

"God Caleb, Hanna?! Really?! On the day I told you that I loved you! Opening myself up to being vulnerable! And you turn around and kiss your ex! And you knew that I had asked Hanna twice if she was okay with us dating and even after all of that... you still KISS HER?! How the hell do you expect me to be okay with that?! And on top of that, you don't talk to me for weeks?! How could you be so insensitive?!"

"I don't know I just-"

"Just what?! Caleb. For three years I suppressed my feelings for you. When we went to Retiro Park, that was not only my favourite day in Europe... but it was one of my favourite dates. I considered that a date even if we were not together at the time. And I thought you felt the same way. All the lingering looks, the unspoken feelings, the amount of time we spent together. You even said that you wouldn't let anyone hurt me! And then you came to Rosewood when I called you during my time of need. I really thought that we could be _something."_

 _"_ Spencer-"

Cutting him off again, Spencer continued her emotional outburst:

"But, what really kills me is **who** you kissed. Caleb, why even be with me? Why let me say _I love you_ only to go and kiss the one person I felt could come between us... in the same day? I knew that Hanna would always have a special place in your heart... But, I need to know something. And answer honestly."

"Okay..." Caleb said.

"During the time that we had spent together, as a _couple,_ did you still have feelings for Hanna? Or were your feelings for me as genuine as you claimed they were?"

"Spencer... My feelings were real. I really did care for you. I still do. I'm just confused. I didn't really get any closure from Hanna when we had broken up. She kept on putting her work before me and I got fed up. So, I gave her an ultimatum: Either come with me to Europe, or we're done. And I thought she chose her work, so I left to Europe... And the rest was history.

I went to Europe. I saw you. A familiar face. I didn't really want to talk about Hanna and how I was feeling, so I just focused on being in the moment, in Europe, with an old friend. But then I fell for you. Your smarts, your sardonic wit, your unparalleled love for justice. But, I was conflicted. I didn't imagine I would fall for my best friend's ex... I thought you felt the same way. But, I did. And I wish that this whole situation was easier, but it isn't and I'm not sure what you want me to do. I-I never meant to hurt you Spence. You should know that."

Rolling her eyes, Spencer stood up with Caleb following after her.

"Caleb. I love you. And those are real feelings. It may have been too soon for you, it may not have been real for you, but that is how I felt. And I trusted you. You made me feel safe. I felt like you understood me and who I was. But, the one thing I refuse to do is get caught in the middle of a very complicated situation... Especially when I'm the one who is getting hurt here. It's obvious that you still love Hanna. And by what you told me, she still loves you too. Even if you never meant to hurt me, surprisingly, you did." Spencer said with tears streaming down her face. Although this whole situation had devastated her, she wasn't entirely surprised.

"Spencer... Caleb said as he wiped the tears from Spencer's face. What are you saying?"

"I'm saying... you should go. Leave me be."

"Spence..."

"Please... Caleb. It's for the best."

"Alright... if you say so."

Caleb gave Spencer one last look before leaving her barn. Spencer laid down on her couch and let her emotions consume her, as the exhaustion from the past few weeks had finally hit her, crying herself gently to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Spencer and Caleb: The Aftermath -Chapter 2

So I got a couple of reviews and follows and I'm glad that you guys are enjoying my story. However, I feel the need to clarify a couple of things:

1\. This isn't necessarily going to be a Hanna x Caleb or Spencer x Caleb story. I haven't decided how I want to end this story, so it is still up in the air.

2\. I am a Spencer x Caleb fan, but that won't affect the direction of this story in the slightest.

3\. Knowing Pretty Little Liars, they probably will skip over all of this, so I will try to give you guys the detail that I know we won't be getting.

4\. I think I'll try and keep this story rather short. There's only a few more things I need to cover. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

After the events of her whole kidnapping, Hanna was still rather shook up. To say that life had been unfair to the girls was an understatement. Stalking, harassment, lying, deceit, and kidnapping had been the theme of their lives for years. Hanna Marin especially. She had always been the bravest of all the girls.

In the years that followed her graduation, Hanna had moved to New York to fulfill her dreams of pursuing a career in the fashion industry, taking the love of her life, Caleb, along with her. Unfortunately for her, things did not go entirely as planned. Hanna and Caleb constantly fought. Their futures looked different and it seemed that they were at a crossroad. Caleb wanted to travel and explore the world. A modern day vagabond. Hanna wanted to take over the fashion industry. Discover the future Naomi Campbell's and design outfits for them.

It was inevitable that they wouldn't see the same future. Hanna, after years of harassment wanted to settle down. Caleb wasn't ready for that.

 _So they parted ways._

As Hanna was in the taxi cab, she realized that she made a grave mistake choosing work over the man she loved. However, by the time she got back to their room, he was gone. Hanna was devastated. She let one of the only good people in her lives walk out and she didn't know how she would manage.

But she did.

Hanna continued on with her career in the fashion industry and ended up getting engaged to a man named Jordan. But, her heart still longed for Caleb. She just didn't realize it. So when Hanna saw him in her hotel room after all those years, the butterflies came back. Which made her question where her loyalties were.

So when Hanna had told Caleb about the events of their break up, and he kissed her, she felt ecstatic. Hanna realized that she could never stop loving Caleb. He always had his heart, no matter how she tried to convince herself otherwise. But, after Ezra and Aria and Emily had walked in, she was suddenly consumed with an overwhelming feeling of guilt.

"How am I going to explain this to Jordan… and Spencer?" She thought to herself. Unfortunately, she didn't have much time to ponder that thought as their risky plan had commenced.

So, after all the events that had transpired from Hanna and Caleb's plan, Hanna had some time to finally process everything that had happened.

Which is why she found herself at Spencer's door in the morning. She had gotten a text from Caleb last night which said:

 _I talked to Spencer last night. I'm not sure how I feel about everything, but you should go talk to her. She was pretty torn up. – Caleb_

Hanna's heart was pounding through her chest. She didn't know what to expect, but as the door opened she braced herself for the worst.

Spencer, after an emotional night, had found herself in bed unable to move. She didn't want to do anything. Still trying to process what Caleb had told her, she felt as a multitude of emotions, sadness being the most prevalent.

Spencer heard a knock on her door, so she rolled out of bed to answer it. She quickly checked her face before she answered the door, just to make sure her eyes weren't too red. Opening the door, Spencer was faced with the one person in the entire world she didn't want to see. Unfortunately for Spencer, it was her best friend.

Rage immediately filled Spencer's heart and before she knew it there were words flying out of her mouth faster than she could count.

"Hanna. You have some nerve showing up here, today. What do you want from me? Did HE call you?" Spencer said, with all the vitriol she could muster.

Hanna sighed, knowing this wouldn't be an easy conversation. Seeing herself in, Spencer slammed the door behind her so there would be no interruptions. Turning around to face Spencer, Hanna had never seen Spencer so angry before. Hanna faltered slightly under Spencer's intense gaze.

"Spence… I-I don't know what to say."

Spencer scoffed at Hanna's admission before unleashing an onslaught of emotions onto Hanna.

"Oh really?! That's funny because Caleb was also at a loss for words as well. Hanna, I don't understand. If you were never over him, why did you let me date him?! Especially since I asked you not once, but TWICE if it was okay to date him?! How could you let me and Jordan get hurt like that?!"

Hanna was about to say something before she stopped to think about what Spencer said. Feeling overcome with guilt once again, Hanna lowered her head before muttering an apology.

"I'm sorry, Spence. I guess I was just overcome with emotion. With us being alone… it made me reminisce on why we broke up. I wasn't sure if I would ever see him again. I-I had to tell him… I always loved him Sp-"

"Really Han?! You always loved him?! Then why didn't you go after him when he left?! Why… Why let me fall in love with him if you always loved him?" Spencer yelled with tears coming down her face. Her pain was palpable. Spencer had always prided herself on being independent and capable, especially after all the life-threatening events she faced in recent years. To face the reality that a man who she came to love could hurt her in such a way was astounding to her.

Taken aback, Hanna hadn't known how deep Spencer's feelings were for Caleb. She immediately felt 10x worse.

"Spencer… you love him?!" Hanna said in shock. She had known they had been together for a bit, but she honestly didn't expect Spencer's feelings to progress so far. Knowing Caleb though, Hanna wasn't **too** surprised. He was a great boyfriend, except for all the infidelity.

Rolling her eyes, Spencer let out a frustrated sigh.

"How could I not?! We spent the better half of two years getting to know each other. All the moments we shared… All the intimate things I told him about myself. I hadn't felt that comfortable with someone in a long time. We grew together. I was so happy. And there were moments when I thought we would be something more, **_BUT_** I couldn't do that to you. I knew what Caleb meant to you. That's why I waited so long before even admitting my feelings! Do you know how hard it is to do that?! No… you don't. I just wish you would have respected me enough to be honest about your feelings…"

"Spencer, I-you're right. I should have gone after him. I shouldn't have gotten engaged unless I was entirely sure. And I didn't know that I still had these feelings until I saw Caleb that day at The Radley. I'm so sorry I wasn't more considerate, but you have to understand my intention wasn't to hurt you Spence. I-I don't know what to do..."

Due to their heated discussion, Spencer and Hanna didn't notice that Caleb had walked in and was listening to everything that they were saying.

"Spencer… Hanna… we need to talk." Caleb said as they both turned around to see him standing by the doorway.

The tension in Spencer's barn had grown immensely with Caleb's arrival, and he hoped that he would be able to try and salvage what is left of this chaotic situation.


	3. Chapter 3

Spencer and Caleb: The Aftermath - Chapter 3

Caleb knew that Hanna had gone to see Spencer. He needed to go see Spencer because there were some things that he needed to say. He also needed to go see Hanna as well. Caleb had known that his actions weren't always the best, but he meant well. At least that's what he told himself. "Hopefully, things will make more sense once I explain." Caleb thought to himself.

With unsteady hands, Caleb opened the door to Spencer's barn hoping nothing serious had transpired between the two. Walking in, Caleb caught the tail end of Spencer and Hanna's conversation:

"How could I not?! We spent the better half of two years getting to know each other. All the moments we shared… All the intimate things I told him about myself. I hadn't felt that comfortable with someone in a long time. We grew together. I was so happy. And there were moments when I thought we would be something more, **_BUT_** I couldn't do that to you. I knew what Caleb meant to you. That's why I waited so long before even admitting my feelings! Do you know how hard it is to do that?! No… you don't. I just wish you would have respected me enough to be honest about your feelings…"

"Spencer-"

His heart plummeted after hearing Spencer's confession. It was in that moment that Caleb fully grasped the consequences of his actions. He had hurt Spencer in a significant way, and he wasn't sure if she would be able to forgive him. Or if he would be able to forgive himself.

 ** _It is easier to forgive an enemy than it is to forgive a friend._**

"Spencer… Hanna... we need to talk" Caleb said. Both of the girls spun around to see Caleb standing at the doorway. Immediately, the room got quiet. Spencer was looking down with her fists balled up. With all the emotional drama that Spencer had been through in the past few days, she was surprised that she hadn't had another anxiety attack. Usually, when she had them, Caleb was there to support her. However, things had changed.

Hanna was looking directly at Caleb with a face that was unreadable. She didn't know how to feel. Every time she saw Caleb, her heart would skip. But, after everything that had happened recently, her heart was confused. She loved Caleb, but she also loved Spencer.

 _They both meant the world to her._

Taking a deep breath, Caleb continued with his explanation, putting an end to the long, uncomfortable silence.

"I-I had a lot to think about. Hanna, after you told me what really went down the night we broke up all my pent up emotions came flooding to the surface. I was hit with a wave of suppressed emotions and that ended up with us kissing. I never wanted to break up. If I had known that you came back, maybe things would have been different…"

"Caleb…" Hanna said, with a troubled look on her features. She still didn't know how to process everything that just happened.

"I should go." Spencer said bitterly, as she started to head towards the door. However, Caleb had blocked her path.

"Wait, Spence. I NEED to say this to you." Caleb said.

"What more could you possibly say? Haven't I been hurt enough? I already said that you should go be with Hanna, so why come back here?" Spencer asked in utter disbelief.

 ** _"Because… I love you, Spencer."_**

Spencer and Hanna both looked at Caleb wide-eyed. Except for Caleb, no one was entirely sure what was happening.

"No-No-No! You love Hanna, Caleb. I was-" Spencer rebutted before being cut off by Caleb.

"No, Spencer. I do love you. And I also do love Hanna. The reason why I came here wasn't to beg either you or Hanna to be with me. Last night, after I left I went back to my place and texted Hanna to come see you."

"So… he did get in contact with you." Spencer said, shooting a look at Hanna. Hanna nodded slightly before turning back to face Caleb.

"Anyways-Hanna, Spencer, I really messed up."

"Big understatement." Hanna and Spencer said at the same time under their breaths while rolling their eyes.

"But, I realized that I don't want to be the reason why you two can't be friends. You two have been friends for so many years. I shouldn't be the reason for this. You two should sort your friendship out. Don't let my stupid actions stop you two from being friends."

"Caleb. Hanna. None of this would have happened if you guys were honest about your feelings to each other. I don't know what happened in New York but honestly, I'm tired. I'm hurt. Caleb, what you said was nice, but you didn't have to. We can't change the past. Here's the reality: You love Hanna-Hanna loves you. Don't let ME get in the way anymore than I already have. I've been hurt too many times in the past. I refuse to allow myself to be hurt any longer over this." Spencer said, wiping her eyes dry.

"Spencer…" Hanna said. Even though this whole situation was messy, Hanna couldn't help but respect Spencer's honesty.

"Honestly Han, it is okay. You and Caleb have never stopped loving each other. I never wanted to come between that. I was okay with Caleb and I being together because I thought you were happy with Jordan. But, it's clear now that you weren't."

Caleb and Hanna looked at each other briefly, but Caleb shook his head and turned to face Spencer.

"Spence, wait. You have to understand that what we had over the years meant a lot to me. Our friendship and relationship is something I didn't take for granted. I guess… old habits have a way of catching up with us. I'm so sorry that I put you through this Spencer. You have to know that I never meant to hurt you."

"Caleb. It's like I told you yesterday – I love you. But, your heart is with someone else and I can't control that. I just need some time. I'm sure your intentions weren't to hurt me, but it just happened that I did get hurt in the end. Now please, go. Both of you."

Understanding Spencer's feelings, Caleb and Hanna left Spencer's barn. Spencer plopped on the couch, but this time tears didn't start flowing. Instead, she sighed deeply and thought of all the wonderful moments Caleb and her shared. Their time in Madrid. Working in Washington. Growing close as friends. She hoped that she made the right decision by letting him walk out of her life.

A few weeks had passed since that whole ordeal at Spencer's barn. Spencer had been preparing to pack up and go back to Washington. She was ready to close this chapter of her life once and for all. Her plans included finding a nice apartment with a comfy bed, becoming an advocate for the weak and defenseless, and eating a lot of comfort food that she hadn't afforded herself in a long time.

Last she heard, Hanna and Caleb were trying to work things out. Hanna had explained everything to Jordan from what Aria and Emily had told her. Spencer assumed that he took it as well as she took it from Caleb. There was still a longing in her heart every time she thought of Caleb, but she knew that eventually she would be able to move on.

-Fin

A/N:

So, I have been getting a lot of people leaving reviews to the tune of:

"Spencer has no right to be mad at Hanna" and "Spencer is getting what she deserves" and "Spencer _should have **known**_ better" and my personal favourite "You just don't do that"

I wanted to address these comments because I have been seeing this a lot everywhere.

Here are my thoughts:

While Spencer may not have made the best decision by dating Caleb, where is the blame/responsibility for Caleb's actions? Where is the "Caleb should have known better" comments. I'll wait. The fact of the matter is if we are going to say that "Spencer should have known better" then "Caleb should have known better as well. I am tired of seeing Spencer Hastings being crucified because she had feelings for Caleb and acted on them. Caleb was the one who made the first move. To be fair, Caleb did not even tell Toby till after the fact. At least Spencer had the curtesy to tell Hanna before.

In the narrative, Caleb was the one who pursued Spencer. He got her to go travelling with her. He followed her to Washington. And on the night that they got together, he was the one who made the first move.

How could Spencer have "known better" when everyone around her wasn't being entirely honest? Now, I know that in Hanna's case the situation was a little tricky. She had gotten engaged to a man that the audience could tell she didn't quite love as much as Caleb. But, realistically, if Hanna was not okay with Spencer and Caleb dating, all she needed to say was she wasn't and that would have been it. I'm not blaming Hanna entirely. I think that is a misunderstanding of the plot, character motivations, etc. I also understand that Caleb and Spencer played a part in this. But most of all, I think this whole thing suffers from poor writing choices from the PLL writing staff.

As I've mentioned numerous times I am a Spencer x Caleb fan. But even I know that in the context of 6B, it didn't serve the plot at all. Especially since they did not intend to keep them together. The ONLY way I can see this serving the plot well was if Caleb was hiding something and he needed to cause division within the Liars. But, I highly DOUBT that's the case.

The whole "Spencer getting what she deserves" comments frustrate me the most. This is because they aren't an accurate representation of what happened. These comments assume that by Spencer being with Caleb, it was a personal offense towards Hanna. If this were the case, realistically, why would Spencer have gone to Hanna TWICE? If she had any malicious intentions, why go through all the trouble to make sure that Hanna was okay with it? Why wait over 3 years to be with someone who she obviously had feelings for? Because her intentions weren't malicious. And neither were Hanna's in 6x20. Hanna thought she may never see Caleb again. So, she figured she might as well let him know the truth about their break up so she at least resolved that issue in her mind. Again, not malicious. The kiss however, was insensitive and inconsiderate on both Hanna and Caleb's part.

Also, the whole "you just don't do that" is a matter of personal opinion. I've had friends who have been with women that I've been with multiple times. And in a lot of those cases they asked me how I felt about it. If I wasn't quite down for it, I let them know my concerns. If I didn't mind, I gave them my blessing. But, every time I was honest about my feelings. Which is the issue that I'm having here. Everyone is so busy blaming Spencer for dating Caleb that they haven't even stopped to consider Hanna and Caleb's role in all of this. Like I said earlier, this isn't me saying that "Hanna and Caleb are entirely at fault."

No-No-No.

This is just me defending Spencer Hastings from the unfair defamation of her character. If you have a differing opinion, that's fine. I just ask that you try and be polite in expressing those opinions.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This will be the last chapter in the fic that deals with how I think PLL will handle their relationship. To be honest, being a Spencer x Caleb shipper, this chapter was really hard for me to write. But I think as a writer, you have to try and stick to the plot as much as possible. Based off what we have seen in the show, I KNOW that Caleb and Hanna will find their way back to each other. I don't really care for Hanna x Caleb, but I do think that this is the narrative that will happen. If it leans more towards Spencer x Caleb (sweet).

I am going to write one more chapter for us Spencer and Caleb fans (a bonus chapter if you will), so if you don't want to read that, it's okay. But please don't be leaving any hateful reviews or comments.

Edit - April 08, 2016: I decided to make the Spencer and Caleb chapter into a full blown story. So if you want to read it you can check it out - - It's called "An Unexpected Relationship


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